FROM CBD NEWS SOURCETEMPE, Ariz. – The Arizona State baseball program will begin its road to Omaha and the 2013 College World Series when it opens the season against Bethune-Cookman on Feb. 15 at Winkles Field-Packard Stadium at Brock Ballpark. The 2013 schedule, announced by head coach Tim Esmay, consists of 56 games, including 28 at home.

The Sun Devils will play 22 games against teams that advanced to the 2012 NCAA Tournament, including 16 at home, and six of their eight games vs. teams that advanced to the College World Series are also at Packard Stadium.

ASU’s first road trip is Feb. 22-24 when they will head to Knoxville, Tenn., to face the SEC’s Tennessee Volunteers for a three-game series. The Sun Devils will also travel to Kansas to play Wichita State for a two-game midweek series April 2-3.

Four conference opponents that advanced to the 2012 Super Regionals will play three-game series’ in Tempe, including College World Series participant UCLA from March 28-30, Oregon from April 5-7 and Stanford from May 3-5.

ASU rounds out its Pac-12 home schedule against defending National Champion Arizona with a three-game tilt May 17-19, and will also face the Wildcats in a pair of non-conference games in Tucson on April 16 and April 30, respectively.

The Coca-Cola Classic at Surprise Stadium, the Spring Training home of the Texas Rangers and Kansas City Royals, has one of the strongest fields ever assembled in the event’s 11 years. Teams include Arkansas, a 2012 College World Series team, Fresno State, Gonzaga, Oklahoma State and Villanova, and will take place from Feb. 28-March 3.

ASU’s Pac-12 schedule is bookended by teams from Washington as they open conference play with a three-game home series against Washington State from March 15-17 and finish out the season with a three-game series against Washington in Seattle from May 24-26.

They host a pair of 2012 NCAA tournament teams as New Mexico comes to Tempe for a midweek game on March 13 and Valparaiso for three games from April 19-21. The final home game of the season is a midweek matchup against BYU on May 21.

Their non-conference slate also includes a three-game home series against perennial postseason team Long Beach State from March 8-10 and a home-and-home one-game series with both Texas Tech and UNLV. The Devils travel to Lubbock on March 19 and Las Vegas on April 10, and will welcome the Red Raiders to Tempe on May 15 and the Running Rebels on April 24.
The leader in West Coast attendance (excluding Hawai’i) for the past eight seasons, Arizona State will once again enjoy one of the nation’s best home field advantages. More 80,000 fans came to Winkles Field-Packard Stadium at Brock Ballpark to watch the Devils play in 2012 and ASU had the highest average national attendance among all Pac-12 schools.

Arizona State Sun Devil baseball secured its 50th straight 30-win season in 2012, which is the longest current streak in Div. 1 baseball, and continues to be the best entertainment value in town. For more information or to purchase tickets, call 480-727-0000 or log on to TheSunDevils.com. Season tickets for the 2013 season will be available in December.

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